(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Ibrahim Idriss Djibril, minister of justice and penitentiary affairs and minister responsible for human rights, RSF has asked for the release of Moussa Ahmed Idriss, editor of the monthly “Le Temps” and political opposition figure. RSF recalled that Djibouti has ratified the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Ibrahim Idriss Djibril, minister of justice and
penitentiary affairs and minister responsible for human rights, RSF has
asked for the release of Moussa Ahmed Idriss, editor of the monthly “Le
Temps” and political opposition figure. RSF recalled that Djibouti has
ratified the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees
freedom of expression. Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general,
also recalled that this arrest brings the number of detained journalsists in
Djibouti to three.
According to the information gathered by RSF, Moussa Ahmed Idriss was
arrested at his residence on the morning of 23 September 1999 and taken to
the Gabode prison. Police officers fired shots in the course of the arrest,
and one of the journalist and opposition figure’s parents was killed. His
wife was also injured by grenade shrapnel during the incident. Moussa Ahmed
Idriss was arrested further to the publication of an article in his
newspaper which stated that a military helicopter was destroyed by FRUD
(main armed opoosition group) soldiers. This was denied by authorities, who
claimed the incident was an accident. On 2 September, the co-editor of “Le
Temps”, Ali Meidal Waiss, was sentenced to eight months in prison because of
this same article, for “dissemination of false news stories” and “damaging
the armed forces’ morale in an effort to harm national defence”. Another
journalist, Daher Ahmed Farah, editor of the weekly “Le Renouveau”, was also
sentenced to a year in prison for the same reason. These two journalists are
also active with political opposition groups.
